A new subgenus and four new species of Gliricola (Phthiraptera: Gyropidae) from Caribbean hutias (Rodentia: Capromyidae)

A new subgenus, Hutiaphilus (Phthiraptera: Gyropidae), is described for five previously named species of Gliricola (G. armatus, G. capromydis, G. cubanus, G. ewingi, and G. omahonyi) and four new species (G. rabbi, with the type host Geocapromys ingrahami; and G. pinei, G. schwartzi, and G. wernecki, all with the type host Mysateles melanurus melanurus). We redescribe and illustrate the previously described species, and provide a key for the identification of these nine species. The nine species of Hutiaphilus are restricted to the caviomorph rodent family Capromyidae, the West Indian hutias. This chewing louse-host association is parallel to other louse-host associations we have documented for caviomorph rodents in that there are two (and in one case, three) species of lice on each host species and typically two even on single host individuals. Hutiaphilus is a derived clade well supported by several synapomorphic features. Its position within the genus Gliricola suggests that the family Capromyidae may be nested within what is now recognized as the Neotropical family Echimyidae.